Why Was a Meteorologist, Patrick Crawford, Shot Right in the Parking Lot, at His Station, KCEN-TV?

I was taken aback, if not shocked to ribbons, when hearing the news of a TV meteorologist (he works for KCEN-TV, Channel 6 out of Waco, Tx), Patrick Crawford, getting shot three times yesterday (12/17/2014), right there in the television station parking lot (314 S. I-35, in Bruceville-Eddy, between Temple and Waco), under circumstances that still unclear (totally unclear).

Part of the shock I was experiencing, I now realize, came from the noticeable scenario of someone who normally delivers the news, suddenly becoming an object or subject, I should say, of those gathering the news. There`s a certain irony to this situation, you`ll have to admit, but it (a similar template) does come up from time to time.

Another aspect of this story that gave me a bit of a jolt, was the way in which law enforcement reacted to this shooting; I need to be careful how I characterize the Texas Department of Public Safety`s response here, but I will say, when viewing it on TV it resembled the National Guard barreling in during the Ferguson riots.

I`m not suggesting TDPS over-reacted here, yet still, I was left with an impression it was a military response, rather than an ordinary police call. That`s neither here nor there really *(it`s the Waco Tribune photo galleries that made me feel this way, actually); yet, these martial images had the cumulative effect of ratcheting up the story a couple of notches, you might say.

Nonetheless, the nature of the assailant`s assault on Patrick Crawford, which occurred in the morning, around 9:15 AM, was very difficult to grasp and very scary to consider, seeing how he shot Crawford with a semi-automatic handgun when the weatherman was in his car (Patrick drives a 2008 black Mustang), about leave the station. How many times did the suspect, who may have been slightly disguised, wearing a black hoodie and jeans, shoot his firearm?

Crawford himself sustained at least 3 gunshot wounds, none of which were fatal (I understand he is in stable condition at Scott & White Memorial Hospital in Temple), yet an employee of KCEN said he heard 6 or 7 shots. As such, some of these rounds obviously missed Crawford, but perhaps hit his black Mustang.

I`m sure law enforcement will do forensics on the car, as well as question KCEN workers, who can tell them what they think went down exactly. Some of them may be reporters, so they`re use to gathering accurate information, regarding an incident such as this, although this involves one of their own, which makes a slightly different creature.

This is a very unusual case, so I hope we can get to the bottom of this, what may have motivated this white man in his 30s, with a medium build and a receding hairline, to arrive at this TV station carrying a gun along, and possibly possessing some sort of malice in his heart, someway, somehow.

I`m using these vague words, since we have to ask whether he had a specific beaf or grudge towards this weatherman. Weren`t words exchanged before the suspect begins firing? And yet Crawford has stated he didn`t know his attacker! The story isn`t gelling yet. Also, we hear this assailant came by foot and fled by foot, unless he thought to park his vehicle a good ways away from KCEN-TV, carefully considering his getaway well in advance.

For me, which ever way this played out, it looks like the suspect had thoughtfully planned his crime out ahead of time, ie premeditation. You may agree with me. Unless somebody is arrested fairly soon, it could take quite sometime before we know what`s behind this; my guess is, once we know, this isn`t going to look quite like what we thought it might look like.

This is one reason why I love the news business; the backstory is usually a 180 degrees away from the one which is publicly promulgated *(that`s if you`re lucky enough to get at the truth, which I would guess, is less than 50% of the time).

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